Chapter 98: The Yin Officer (1 / 2)

Tears streamed down my face as I desperately clung to the slim hope that the doctors could save Wang Yi. I knew that once the Exploding Yang Curse was activated, the chances of survival were only ten percent, but still, I couldn't let go. My stomach churned violently, and I couldn't help but throw up again. It suddenly struck me that there was something critical I had overlooked amidst the battle between the two men—the Celestial Master's Seal!

The Celestial Master's Seal was meant to guard the heart, preventing the parasitic insects from reaching it. But just now, Kunji had carelessly tossed it aside as though it were just a piece of wood. Now, I could clearly feel my heart spasming, as if a horde of wriggling larvae had crawled into my chest, gnawing at me from the inside.

Gradually, I felt darkness consuming me again, and I heard Cao Shiyu's desperate cries, urging me not to die. But my eyelids grew heavier by the second.

Goodbye, this world...

The blackness enveloped me completely. I heard no sounds, saw no light, and could only sense myself walking in a boundless, dark sphere, endlessly moving through it. I don't know how long it lasted, but suddenly, I heard the faint clinking of chains.

A hoarse voice whispered in my ear: "Zhang Dabo, are you not moving?"

I was startled. Was it the underworld coming to claim my soul? Sure enough, after the voice, I suddenly felt like I could see the path ahead in the pitch dark. I realized that I was truly dead.

Looking around, I saw two figures dressed in ancient official attire, holding iron chains, standing on either side of me. One of them, the taller one, swung the chain and bound me with it. I understood that this was the Yin officers' way of preventing wandering souls from escaping. The chain they used was the Confining Immortal Rope.

I quickly adjusted my grief-stricken mindset. Now that I had fallen into the hands of the Yin officers, they wouldn't care who I was when I was alive! So, I respectfully said, "Gentlemen, I am a Taoist disciple, one who has taken the vows. After death, I should have celestial status."

Being someone who practiced Yin-Yang Taoism, I knew the rules and wouldn't scream or wail like someone who had just died. The Yin officers held a Soul Whip, and each time you cried out, they would lash you. If you didn't want to endure that, it was best to speak politely. After all, they were once human beings.

I also wondered if mentioning some acquaintances might help.

The officers appeared just like ordinary people—cold and expressionless, but with an intimidating aura. One of them held a whip, while the other had a dagger at his waist and was holding a chain in one hand.

The Yin officer spoke coldly: "Stop wasting words. Taoism has its own ways of receiving souls. If you've fallen into our hands, you are a mere common soul. Say one more word, and I'll strike you dead!"

He made a symbolic swing with the whip. I didn't want to be on the receiving end of it, so I quickly said, "Brothers, I'm a friend of the Night Walker God. Could you release me from these chains?"

"Night Walker God?" the taller officer asked, his tone skeptical.

"Yes, yes, that's right!" I hurriedly confirmed, but then, suddenly, the officer swung his whip, striking me squarely on the back.

"You're the Night Walker God's friend? I'm the Jade Emperor's son-in-law, so hurry up and get moving! One more word, and I'll kill you!"

The crack of the whip echoed, and I almost collapsed from the pain. I cursed under my breath at the Night Walker God. When he asked for my help, he was all respectful, calling me "nephew." But now that I was in trouble, he didn't even come to back me up!

This was my first time in the underworld, and from the occult teachings I knew, the first rule of crossing into the underworld was to strengthen your soul. You also needed spiritual herbs to assist, until your soul was strong enough to survive the passage. Along the way, there would be many wandering spirits and wild ghosts. The Taoist arts based on the Five Elements had to be adjusted, as there were no Five Elements in the underworld. The spiritual energy that worked in the living world was useless here.

The most notable feature of this place was the complete absence of sunlight, and the world was filled with a thick, lifeless fog. I dared not speak anymore, my head lowered as I was led by the officers, chained and shackled. As we walked, the two Yin officers began chatting, completely indifferent to my presence.

One of them said, "Damn it, another poor soul. I really wonder if we pissed off the boss. Why else would we be assigned a poor one? Look at him, no burial clothes, no money."

The other one replied, "Stop complaining. Didn't I warn you? You're really asking for trouble. The Jade Emperor's joke is no joke! You, the son-in-law, are just full of nonsense. You think the Jade Emperor will send tens of thousands of heavenly soldiers to grab you? Stop whining; I'm just voicing some dissatisfaction."

The taller Yin officer kept grumbling. I dared not speak, not wanting to anger them further, as there were no tools or spells here to protect me. Keeping my head lowered, I followed them silently. Time had no meaning in this place, so I didn't know how long we walked, but eventually, I looked up, and in front of me stood a massive temple.

It was extraordinarily tall, even comparable to the Zhongxing Commercial Building in Shenyang, with blue bricks and tiles and two red-painted door pillars that looked very imposing. Even the massive doors, more than ten meters high, made me doubt whether they could even be opened.

But as I examined the temple closely, three large characters caught my eye: Land Deity Temple.

I was stunned. A Land Deity Temple was supposed to be a small, humble place, and yet here, this temple was enormous! Even the Land Deity statues were supposed to be short, stocky figures, not towering over the place.